It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (33 1/3 Series) – Christopher R. Weingarten
Wilson – Daniel Clowes
BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO US THIS YEAR

This summer- battling the Miniature Tigers to a game of Super Smash Brothers onstage at a concert in Akron Ohio. The loser of the game had to wear a Lebron James Cavaliers jersey (post-Miami decision). We lost.

also good:
Teenage Fanclub- Shadows
Stereolab- Not Music
of Montreal- False Priest
The Method Actors- This is Still It

Would have made the list, but it’s from 2009:
Claire & the Reasons- Arrow (from 2009, but FTW!)
Caribou- Swim

The best thing that happened to me all year:
I started working out! Not like six-pack-abs workin’ out, but general-well-being workin’ out. It changed my outlook on life. I’ve started staning differently. I’ve still got a little belly, and that’s probably not going to change. But I feel so much better.
Runner-up: I got to see Paul Collins (of the Nerves and the Beat) and Van Dyke Parks live, two of the best shows I’ve ever witnessed.

Jim Hix (Casper and the Cookies)

2010 saw the release of a lot of music, both mainstream and indie, that I was super-duper excited about.

When it comes to 2010 mainstream hip hop, 2010 had some really great and memorable stuff. The year began with the awesome (was it the third?) return of Jay Z: Blueprint Vol 3. Then all year we were treated to the emergence to the national stage of Nicki Minaj, hip hop’s lady gaga (that’s a good thing). And finally, we close the year off with my favorite major label record of the year, Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Like Smucker’s Jelly, even the ridiculous name (let’s not even mention the cover!) couldn’t hold that record back! In my favorite track of the year, Monster, you get Jay Z, Kanye, AND Nicki Minaj, all in the same three minutes and all spitting some of their best rhymes ever!

2010 was also the year that my favorite indie band, Poison Control Center, released their epic double record, Sad Sour Future. I’m not sure what the title of the record speaks to, but the songs it contains are instant classics in the PCC cannon for all fans. (if you’re not a fan yet it’s probably because you just haven’t heard them yet. Check them out, they’re SOOO GOOD!) Like I said, it’s double record yet it somehow manages to retain attention and listen-ability all the way through.

One of my other favorite bands, Indiana’s Jookabox, followed up their brilliant release, 2008’s Ropechain with 2010’s Deadzone Boys. (I just checked on Wikipedia and it says that Deadzone Boys came out in 09 but I didn’t get it until 2010 so that’s when I’m counting it!) It’s hard to describe jookabox by comparing them to other bands cause no one else really sounds like them. Trust me, they’re really good so you should get those two records!!

I have some friends in Toronto, Colleen and Paul, and they recorded a record this year under the name “Colleen and Paul” and this record is AMAZING! It’ relies mostly on acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies in the tradition of Simon and Garfunkel, and man, are the songs good! I just checked and the record is available on itunes for less than 8 bucks and it’s self titled and everyone should run to their computers and buy it cause they’ve never heard it and they don’t know that they have little holes in their hearts where these tunes are gonna fit so nicely.

I have to say, a lot of what I listened to this year was new music coming from the little legendary town I call home, Athens, GA! There’s a new three-piece called The Hums. I can find no web presence for this band and I don’t know if the record is released yet, I think my girl friend bought it at one of their shows, but man, its a great record that sounds kind of like the violent femmes playing white stripes songs, but not really. The album is called Lemonland and you can hear it current;y at the vision video store that I work at. I’ll keep you posted as I find out more. The other record I wanna plug cause if you don’t live here you’ve probably never heard of them but this record is my top record of the year, and it’s by a band called Quiet Hooves. The record is called, Saddle Up and I couldn’t find a place on the web where you could buy it but I know they had a cd release party this year so that’s released enough for me. Go one over to their myspace and check them out. (Start with the album tracks! That’s the stuff you wanna hear!) The songs sound like, I don’t know, really good well thought out baroque pop recorded on a cassette four-track. There’s whimsy and mystery and quiet moments of beauty. I can’t say enough good stuff about this album. Keep your eyes peeled and if you run across it, snag it up!!!

Alright that’s it for me. 2011 is gonna see some exciting new stuff for all the bands I play in. The Goons is going to release its first record so keep and eye out for that!! Marshmallow Coast is going to release “Seniors and Juniors Strike Back” which is a complete re-recording of Andy’s first album he released ten years ago! Casper and the Cookies have just started work on our next record and the demos are sounding awesome so look for a release from us sometime next year! Plenty of touring and promoting next year so if I’m in your town, come see me!!!

Owen Evans – ROAR!

Totally! What music fan doesn’t like to make lists? I’m really glad you included songs too. Smart!

1. Magic Kids – Memphis

2. Carol Cleveland Sings – The Cashmere Cassette

3. MGMT – Congratulations

4. Department of Eagles – Archive 2003-2006

5. Candy Claws – Hidden Lands

6. Miniature Tigers – Fortress

7. Avi Buffalo – S/T

8. Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul

9. Half-handed Cloud – As Stowaways in Cabinets of Surf, We Live-out in Our Members a Kind of Rebirth

10. Mini Mansions – S/T

The best thing that happened to me this year was getting to go on tour with one of my favorite people/musicians and meeting the most amazing girl all in the span of two months.
Leslie Sisson

Matt Pond PA – The Dark Leaves
It’s too good to categorize. Ok, I know I’m in the band, but I’m not on this record so it’s fair to be my fave, even after hearing it repeatedly for a year. Matt is a truly talented songwriter and I’m honored to share the stage with him in not one, but two beloved bands.

This Year’s Top Happening:

My highlight moment was getting called up to sing with Broken Social Scene by the lovely Lisa Lobsinger on Central Park Summer Stage. That came close to dueting with Dan Mangan on the road and spending my year touring in The Wooden Birds and Matt Pond PA. 2010 was a good one.

Dave Feldman (Wyldlife)

Here’s My Top 7 in no order:

1) The Biters- “Hang Around”
2) The So So Glos- “Fred Astaire”
3) The Ex-Humans- “Primitive”
4) The Booze- “Hate City Nights”
5) The Radio Exiles- “Secret Station”
6) The Danvilles- “I Tell You”
7) Cee-Lo Greene-“Fuck You” obviously. That song is incredible.

I’d say that being able to play a show with the Biters was probably my highlight, band wise. That, or any house party show we did at Purchase College. Then again, we haven’t played New Years yet at 58 Gallery, so it might still be too early to tell.

This year pretty much sucked on my end! Anything relating to the band was the best, save for a few more tattoos.

Spencer Alexander (Wyldlife)

Heres my top 10 fav songs:

1. Social Distortion “Machine Gun Blues”
After 30 years they’ve still got it.

2.Tokyo Police Club “Favorite Food”
“Champ” is probably the album that was the soundtrack to my summer.

3.The Gaslight Anthem “Boxer”
Sure they sound like Bruce Springsteen, but I like Bruce.

4. The Biters “Hang Around” gotta agree with Dave on this one

5. Arcade Fire “Sprawl II (Mountains beyond mountains)”

6.the Black Keys “Everlasting Light”
I managed to sneak into the end of their set at Central Park, and these guys are as good live as they are on record.

7. Vampire Weekend “Giving up the gun”

8.Girl Talk “Oh no”
Anyone who can make people dance to Black Sabbath is good in my book.

9.Tokyo Police Club “End of a Spark”

10.Cee-Lo Greene “Fuck you”

Best thing that happened to me this year?
I would have to say playing a show at monster island basement in brooklyn, immediately driving to Iowa after our set on a random road trip, driving back to New York after a couple days, and then playing a 101.9 rxp showcase opening for Steel Train at the Bowery Electric. It was a crazy week to say the least.